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Abstract:
109
Introduction:
The World Wide Web is considered to be the first public relations mass
medium allowing direct communications between organizations
and their publics without going through news media gatekeeping
and journalists and editors filtering. Internet is a unique medium with
a score of opportunities for organizations to reach and interact with
their key publics online. Public relations practitioners can, through
the net, communicate directly with their public with transparency,
frankness and democracy. Internet is a strategic tool for public
relations to perform interactive communication, professional
development and conduct research.
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the Internet and online newspapers to do research and monitor
the organization’s corporate image online? Do public relations
departments have a policy and strategy to use efficiently and
rationally online communication to promote and develop their
relations with the media through the Web?
The Problem:
Thereisacommondenominatorbetweenonlinejournalismandonline
public relations, both need each other and both use news, reports
and data from each other. Online journalism needs and use online
public relations: Press releases, reports, Company and managers’
profiles, latest news and events, press clippings, video news items…
etc. Public relations departments use online newspapers and
publications to monitor the organization’s corporate image, news
coverage and public opinion. PR departments use online newspapers
to do research to plan and manage their activities and programs.
Excellent communications and public relations are those that
serve to facilitate the relationship between an organization and its
strategic publics. The Internet can play a significant role in this kind
of public relations, but generally it has not yet been used to that end.
Most public relations activities on the Internet are limited to using
it as yet another channel for the one-way, top-down publishing of
information under the traditional formula of mass communication.
Most public relations activities online are not strategic, they are not
measurable and they are not targeted toward specific audiences
or constituencies. For the most part, organizations’ online public
relations efforts are limited to a small component of a larger,
catchall company site on the World Wide Web. A huge number of
organizations and institutions have not yet embraced the Internet
at all as a communication tool. The home page is static , it never
changes. On the page, the company proudly displays its logo and
links to the various sections of the site. As a result, the one site
needs to accommodate all possible audiences, from customers and
consumers to newspaper reporters and investment analysis.
Excellent communications and public relations are those that
serve to facilitate the relationship between an organization and its
strategic publics. The Internet can play a significant role in this kind
of public relations, but generally it has not yet been used to that end.
Most public relations activities on the Internet are limited to using
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it as yet another channel for the one-way, top-down publishing of
information under the traditional formula of mass communication.
And then there are the huge number of organizations and institutions
that have not yet embraced the Internet at all as a communication
tool. Most public relations activities online are not strategic, they
are not measurable and they are not targeted toward specific
audiences or constituencies.
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Public Relations in the United Arab Emirates has emerged as an
important profession to interact, cater for and keep up with the
rapid development that the country has witnessed since the
declaration of the union on the second of December 1971.With the
advent of the union and the oil, the country witnessed large scale
development programs in all aspects of life. Such development
programs needed effective public relations. The country enjoys a
high per capita income (over 20,000 US $), a free market economy,
a strong infrastructure and a cosmopolitan society with expatriates
from all over the world. This healthy and encouraging environment
attracted foreign investments. Hundreds of multinational and
foreign companies established their offices in the country, opening
the doors to the emergence of the public relations industry. Both
public and private sectors started PR departments, services and
offices to keep up with the new changes and development. The
country has not depended only on oil resources and wealth, but
diversified its economy and engaged huge investments in tourism,
transportation, telecommunications, trade, and lately real estate.
( Badran,Turk, Walters,2004:46)
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Abu Dhabi and Dubai. (Nafadi; Babbili & Hussein, 1994:229302-).
As for advertising, this period witnessed a widespread expansion
of private advertising agencies, and the industry started to grow
following the path of overall development in the country.
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entertainment and interactive channels in approximately 14
languages. There are six Arabic and three English daily newspapers
in circulation in the country, in addition to more than 160 magazines
and journals published by local and national organizations, cultural
centers, clubs, chambers of commerce and industry, municipalities
and educational institutions.
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longer geographical, audiences are also global and local. Online public
relations means interactivity. It is closer to direct than mass media.
This means that public relations should emphasize interaction with
individuals online through two way symmetric communication.
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Online media relations:
The press is not only one of the most important groups with which an
organization must communicate, it also is one of the easiest groups
to apply to the Internet…You can hardly find an institutional Web
site that does not feature a link to material produced by the media
relations department. Reporters use Internet-based e-mail as a
means of corresponding with sources after initial contact was made
and the identity and credibility of the source established.
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Literature Review:
118
Johnson argues that public relations practitioners use the Web
to promote media relations, internal communication, investors,
government, and customers relations. Public relations practitioners
are using the Web as a tool of transparent, democratic and direct
communicationwiththeorganization’skeypublics.(Johnson,1997)
In a study on “ Reaching key publics online: University public
relations practitioners’ use of the World Wide Web”, Silverman
content analyzed 261 American doctorate-granting universities
to determine how they are using the World Wide Web to provide
information for key publics. The author concludes That:
O’Malley and Irani did a study on “ Public relations and the Web:
Measuring the effect of interactivity, information, and access to
information in Web sites”. The objective of the study was to examine
whether interactivity, information, access to information or any
combination thereof, would be the best predictor of intention. The
study suggests that a combination of information and interactivity
would be the best predictor of intending to revisit a Web site.
(O’Malley and Irani,1998:1,9).
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Research Questions:
RQ2: What media materials, news, information and data are public
relations departments displaying on the Web site?
Methodology:
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A media relations Web site Analysis Sheet what developed for the
purpose of this study (appendix A). Items included the availability
on the organization’s Web site of news room, press releases, latest
news and activities, press releases’ archive, speeches’ archive,
CVs and photos, news clippings, company and executives’ profiles,
PR’s contact numbers, online publications, virtual tour, film, videos,
and visitors’ comments and suggestions. The study also used a 26
items-questionnaire administered to public relations departments’
managers in the 24 organizations of this study (appendix B). The
questionnaire was designed to assess the use of the Internet and
online publications by public relations departments to promote and
develop relations with news media and organization’s key publics
online.
Findings :
Media Relations Web Site Analysis’ Findings:
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a great importance for journalists and reporters. They usually use
them for background stories and to catch up with what have been
said and published by other news media about the organization they
are covering. Findings of the Web sites’ analysis show also that only
two out of the 24 organizations’ Web sites posted their PR managers
and practitioners contact numbers. This is a major drawback
considering that journalists and reporters need some telephone
numbers and emails to contact directly the right person in the
organization who can provide them with the necessary information
they are looking for. Findings also indicated that the organizations
surveyed by this study didn’t use the Web efficiently to build up
good media relations. None of the 24 organizations of this study
have a film or video news items on its Web site, and only two have a
virtual tour. These are the negative aspects of using the Web by PR
departments to build and foster media relations. On the other hand,
some positive aspects emerged throughout this study.
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Questionnaire’s Findings:
As for the Web site analysis’ findings, the questionnaire’s findings
show some good news and some bad news. The bad news show that
in over two thirds of the companies the public relations department
do not design or maintain the Company’s Web site. This is a negative
trend in online public relations. To be effective on the net, PR
departments should be part of the team that construct, design and
maintain the Web site of the organization, they should be involved
and have a say in what to be displayed on the Web site? How? When?
and for what purposes? They should make a systematic and scientific
use of the new technology to reach their key publics online, and to
give the opportunity to their audience to communicate and interact
through the net with the organization. Public relations departments
should also display on the organization’s Web site news, reports,
data, profiles and CVs that are of importance to the news media,
reporters and journalists. Respondents in their majority said also
that they are not using email to perform their PR work. Over half of
the respondents are not aware of the meaning and importance of
a news room, press room, media room or media center online for
Web media relations This is a dramatic finding if we are talking about
online media relations.
The good news about online public relations in the United Arab
Emirates are stated as follows by the respondents of this study ‘s
questionnaire: Public relations managers and practitioners think
they should construct and upgrade the organization’s Web site.
The majority of them think also that providing press releases, and
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press releases’ archive, posting the companies publications and
displaying the latest news and events and future activities of the
organization are all indispensable and essential elements of good
media relations online. Over two thirds of the respondents said they
use visitors’ comments, suggestions and feedback in their planning
and activities. All the respondents think that Internet has helped
tremendously their organization in promoting online relations with
the news media. .
124
Discussion and Conclusion:
125
countries, the problem of online public relations is a problem of
the practice of the profession itself, and not only a problem of
technology. In this regard, Kirat notes:
Although public relations is growing very fast in the Middle East, and
although it is developing along the years but still the profession is
facing some old problems.
Public relations in the Arab World is still distanced from top
management and relegated to secondary roles instead of advising
and contributing in the decision -making. The status of PR in society
is correlated with the degree of freedom, democracy and the place
public opinion occupies and the role it plays in society.
(Kirat,2005:330331-).
For sure, news media, reporters and audiences are using, and will
use Internet more and more; public relations departments have to
find out how, when, where and for what purposes are using this new
tool and how to make an efficient use of it to achieve their objectives
and goals. Then, they have to build communications programs and
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efforts to accommodate those trends to satisfy the needs of the
news media, the publics and the organizations themselves. The final
goal in online public relations is not the fact to have a Web site for
your organization, but rather is what you have inside that Web site,
what kind of information, data, statistics, archives, photo galleries,
virtual tours, video news clips and useful links.
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127
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Appendix B: Questionnaire
Dear colleague,
We are conducting a study on online public relations in the United
Arab Emirates. Kindly fill in the following questionnaire . We would
like to inform you that all your answers will be treated in strict
confidence. Neither you, nor your organization will be reported by
name.
We would like to thank you in advance for your time and cooperation
……………………………………………………………………………
Q2: What is your job title ?
……………………………………………………………………………
Q3: Who designs and maintains the organization’s Web site ?
……………………………………………………………………………
Q4: According to you, who should design and manage the
organization’s Web site ?
……………………………………………………………………………
Q5: Does your organization’s Web site have a newsroom, pressroom,
news bureau, media room, or media center?
……………………………………………………………………………
Q6: If yes, What kind of news, reports, information does it display?
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
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Q7: Do you use Internet to promote online media relations in your
organization? How?
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
Q8: Do you use email to perform your PR tasks? If yes, how?
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
………….………..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…
Q9: Do you use email to send press releases, news, photos, and
information about the organization’s activities to news media? If
yes, please give examples:
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
Q10: Do you have a press releases’ archive on your organization’s
Web site?
……………………………………………………………………………
Q11: Do you have an archive for your organization officials and top
managers’ speeches, statements, interviews?
……………………………………………………………………………
Q12: Does your organization’s Web site display profiles, photos and
CVs of its executives and top managers?
……………………………………………………………………………
Q13: Are public relations managers, practitioners and company’s
spokesman’s contacts numbers available on the organization’s
Web site?
……………………………………………………………………………
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Q14: How is your organization’s media relations Web site structured
and organized?
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
Q15: Do you use public relations online research in your organization?
If yes, how?
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
Q1 6: Are the organization’s publications posted on its Web site? If
yes list them please.
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
………….………..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…
Q18: Is there a virtual tour about your organization on its Web site?
……………………………………………………………………………
Q19: Does you organization use videos and Web casts to reach its
key publics online?
……………………………………………………………………………
Q20: Is there a film about your organization on its Web site?
……………………………………………………………………………
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Q21: Do you monitor online publications to do your PR work? If yes,
please give examples:
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
Q22: Do you monitor online newspapers to do your PR work? If yes,
how?
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
Q23: What kind of information and data you get from the net to
perform your PR tasks?
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
Q24: Is there a visitor feedback link on the organization’s Web site
that allows members of the public to report their views, comments,
questions and suggestions?
……………………………………………………………………………
Q25: If yes, do you use publics’ feedback in your PR work? And how?
……………………………………………………………………………
………….………..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..……..…
……………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………………………………………
Thank you for your participation in this study
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